


Up at dawn

by TheyCallMeBol



Series: This Must Be The Place [13]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Don't Judge Me, It's late, Keith is as well but he deals with it better, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance stresses over exams, M/M, Mutual Pining, broganes, who doesn't?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-10
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-11-12 14:32:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11163846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheyCallMeBol/pseuds/TheyCallMeBol
Summary: College life is hard.But college life is not so hard when your crush/neighbor helps you study.Five times they were studying and the shenanigans that this entails.





	Up at dawn

**Author's Note:**

> I know the summary is shit but it's late, I really should be sleeping or studying because fuck it's SUNDAY ALREADY AND IM RUNNING OUT OF TIME  
> But it's voltron's anniversary AND they released today the preview and I?? Had to post something??  
> And also I have so much shit on my head rn I really need to do something with it so please take this mess and enjoy it?  
> The title is from Fire Escape by Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness

1

‘’Shiro.’’

‘’Shiro.’’

‘’Shir-’’

‘’What do you want, Keith?’’ he said, tiredly, looking up from his book to look at his brother.

Keith was tugging at his t-shirt, still too big for him and old enough to be hypothetically used as window-cleaning cloth. (Not enough old to do it in the end because money didn’t grow in trees).

‘’Keith?’’ he asked again and his brother looked up from his t-shirt and took a big breath.

‘’I tried to make dinner because you look busy but I was hungry but I didn’t want to botheryou-’’

‘’Hold on.’’ Shiro interrupted him lifting his hand. ‘’What did we say about you and making dinner?’’

‘’That I wouldn’t do it, but-’’

‘’Because?’’

‘’Because I don’t really reach the cupboards, which is fine because I took a chair-’’ Keith looked to the blank stare his brother was giving him and sighed.’’ Because it’s difficult and then you have to clean it but! I saw this tutorial on youtube-’’

‘’Keeeeeith…’’ Shiro groaned and got up, leaving his books on the table.

He walked to the kitchen with Keith following quietly after him and smiled fondly when he saw a burned omelette on the counter. Just a plain, simple, not on fire, black omelette. No water on the floor, no counter full of stuff, broken eggs, poured milk-

‘’You cleaned everything.’’ Shiro said ruffling his hair. ‘’You even did the dishes?’’

‘’But I burned the omelette.’’ he said and closed his mouth on a tight line. ‘’I know because I tried mine, which was the bad one.’’

‘’Keith you can’t eat burnt stuff. It’s bad for your health.’’ Shiro said ogling his omelette and debating weather to eat it or not.

‘’I know but everything burns so easily and I just forget…’’

‘’I know, it’s fine. You’ll learn.’’ Shiro said and picked the omelette and tossed it to the trash.

As expected, Keith sighed and looked like a kicked puppy how Shiro did it. (It was not the first time).

‘’Go pick my cards from the desk, please.’’

‘’Green or yellow?’’

‘’Green.’’ Keith took off running and came back holding all the flashcards he had been the whole day studying.

‘’Could you please ask me what’s written on red while I make a salad or something?’’ Shiro said washing some lettuce. ‘’You still hungry?’’

‘’ _Yes._ ’’ Keith whinned. He cleaned his throat and held the flashcards. ‘’Define boson and fermion…’’

 

2

‘’Lance, Allura is here!’’ Laura shouted and Lance ran to the front door to greet her.

‘’Hey!’’ he said after Allura had said hello to his grandmother. His teacher smiled to him.

‘’Remember today is Sunday and I will be working-’’

‘’Yeah, yeah I know, I’ll make something for dinner. Don’t sweat it.’’ he said waving a hand.

‘’Talk properly, Lance.’’ his grandmother said, checking herself on the mirror one last time. ‘’Oh, I almost forgot it. Your mother called this morning to wish you luck for your exams-’’

‘’What?!’’ Lance shrieked. ‘’Why didn’t you tell me before?!’’

‘’-don’t forget to call her.’’ Laura said as she left the house.

‘’This woman, I swear…’’ Lance said typing on his phone. Allura sat on the couch quietly.

‘’So you are good with your mom now?’’ Allura asked smiling politely while taking some books out of her bag.

‘’We’re on it.’’ Lance said tossing the phone to the cushions. ‘’Anyways, how is the most beautiful woman on the world today?’’

‘’I haven’t asked Beyoncé today, but I hope she is doing fine.’’

‘’Same honestly.’’

Lance sat on the couch and took his notebooks, too.

‘’How are you doing with english?’’ she asked. She knew it wasn’t Lance strongest subject.

‘’I don’t understand shit.’’ Lance said groaning. ‘’Seriously, it’s like my brain is mashed potatoes or something. I have been studying like mad but I can’t remember shit and the exams are coming and I can’t fail them!’’

‘’Shh-’’ Allura said lifting a finger. ‘’Count to ten with me.’’

Lance gave her an unamused look but he did after she frowned menacingly.

‘’Now that you are calmer. You know the theory and you have god memory-’’

‘’But I get nervous and then my mind gets blank!’’

‘’Okay, we’ll work on it.’’ Allura said smiling. ‘’I’m here to help you.’’

‘’It’s useless Allura.’’ Lance said hugging his legs. ‘’I haven’t passed a single test since I’m here.’’

‘’Lance you have been here for a month, you have made a good progress-’’

‘’You have to say that. Laura pays you to do so.’’

‘’No.’’ Lance looked at her lifting an eyebrow. ‘’Your grandmother pays me so you learn.’’

‘’Well, is not working, is it?’’

‘’You are learning. You work hard and at the end of the day you know what you study. You just have to learn to express it on the exam.’’

‘’Allura-’’

‘’I won’t give up on you, you know?’’ she said fiercely. ‘’Never. I believe in you, I admire you for what you are doing and I will help you to get there. Not only as a teacher but also as a friend.’’

Lance sighed and smiled at her.

‘’Do you really think I can do this?’’

‘’We can do this.’’

 

3

 

‘’Keith.’’

‘’Keith.’’

‘’Keith-’’

‘’What do you want, Takashi?’’

Shiro frowned. His brother didn’t even bothered taking the eyes out of his phone to properly look at him.

‘’Why do you call me Takashi now?’’ he asked kicking Keith’s legs and making himself a seat on the couch.

‘’ _Rude._ ’’ Keith said putting his legs on Shiro’s lap. ‘’And because it’s your name.’’

‘’Well, you have been calling me Shiro all this time so-’’

‘’Well, I’m not a kid anymore. Maybe I want you to understand that.’’

Shiro sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. He really missed sometimes eight-years old Keith, all smiles and bright eyes and eating vanilla ice cream, or thirteen years old Keith burning the kitchen trying to help. Sixteen years old Keith was grumpy, quiet, always in his phone talking to Matt’s sister and bonding over ‘memes’ or some shit he didn’t understand at all.

‘’Maybe I like it when you call me Shiro.’’

‘’Why? It’s dumb.’’ Keith settled.

‘’Well, but I like it.’’

Keith looked up from his phone and frowned at him. Some babies were born with blue or weird looking eyes and with the time the color faded. Keith’s storm-like color never changed.

‘’Really?’’

‘’Well, yeah.’’ Shiro said smiling. ‘’It reminds me of when my baby brother was cute and a happy kid and not an emo teenager-’’

‘’Urgh-’’ Keith said groaning in his hands.

‘’-who use up all my eyeliner.’’ Shiro was in full teasing mode at this point.’’ Who doesn’t ever do something to help on this house-’’

‘’I do!’’ Keith said and pouted. ‘’I clean _everyday_ -’’.

‘’Uhum sure you do-’’. Shiro chuckled and stopped when Keith threw a murderous gaze at him. ‘’Anyways, I was going to ask why you haven’t opened your books in the whole afternoon?’’

‘’I don’t wanna study.’’ he answered flopping back on the couch.

Shiro lifted an unimpressed eyebrow and waited for Keith to react, who kept moving his fingers fast over his phone’s keyboard, and _dared_ to snort at something on his phone.

Shiro lifted his arms and pushed him off the couch.

Keith landed on the floor face first and started cursing.

‘’If you want to eat something tonight you better learn everything for the exam before dinner.’’

‘’Shiro that’s impossible-’’

‘’If I were you I would start opening the books, kiddo.’’

‘’Shiro cut the shit-’’

Shiro got up and left Keith on the floor, taking his phone with him.

‘’Shiro!’’ Keith shouted. ‘’Give me my phone!’’

‘’I will, when you tell me everything on unit four and five.’’

‘’I will fucking cook something by myself!’’ Keith said opening the books.

‘’There is no bread for sandwiches, or anything you can do, really.’’ Shiro said laughing.

‘’Fuck you!’’

 

In the end he got another A, because his baby brother was _smart._

 

4

 

Matt had a good method. It always worked. It had gotten him to college, being top of his class. It always leaded him to a mental breakdown and to question all his life choices when caffeine and sugar faded from his system, but Shiro was always there to catch him.

First: Make a good calendar with exams. Make it colorful and shiny to inspire yourself!

Second: Wait until the day before the exam. Buy two or three bags of peanuts.

Third: Eat said bag of peanuts and summarise everything you have to study at a speed that would put Flash to shame with the new-acquired powers of super peanuts.

Fourth: Set an alarm for four am.

Fifth: Get up at four am (This point is a key part of The Process).

Sixth: Drink as many cups of coffee as stuff you have to study.

Seven: Go loose. (Be ready for philosophical questions about your life choices).

Eight: You have a few minutes before the exam, make sure you find Takashi and he encourages/wakes you up.

Nine: Kick ass.

Ten: Come back home and crash on the bed.

Repeat if necessary.

 

‘’We are going to have to do an intervention at this pace.’’ Shiro said one day, in the break they were taking after studying in the library.

‘’Uh?’’ Matt answered pausing his spotify ‘’WORK!’’ list.

‘’Too much coffee, Matt.’’ Shiro said smiling. ‘’ You are going to combust one day.’’

‘’There is never too much coffee I can consume.’’

‘’There is. I don’t really want to see what it does to you in finals.’’

‘’Don’t worry.’’ he said, sipping at his eight dollars black coffee. _I’ll take Starbucks down one day. Watch me._ ‘’I’ve got it under control.’’

 

‘’I don’t got it under control.’’ he found himself saying at five am two months later at Shiro’s door.

‘’I know. Come inside. Keith! You take the couch!’’

‘’Roger!’’

 

5

Lance was currently being a burrito in his bed, surrounded by papers and half-done flashcards, and sinking in an endless ocean of self-pity when he heard his bedroom door opening.

‘’Lance what the fuck are you doing.’’

He looked up to see his neighbor staring down at him. In all his I-don’t-even-put-any-effort-on-looking-this-good glory. He groaned and went back to his burrito.

‘’Lemme die in peace will you?’’

‘’Lance wake the fuck up and study.’’ How did Keith know he had to study?

He had thought everything was fine. Few days ago he was celebrating the end of his exams when his teacher told him he had _failed._ He. Lance McClain. Failed an exam.

Thanks to all the gods out there, this teacher was a saint and had given him the opportunity to re-do the exam. But when he took his notes again he understood why he had failed in the first place.

He had finished his exams! He had survived! He was dead but had survived! And now his teacher expected him to go over it all over again-?

Keith nudged him

‘’Ughhh-’’ he said, eloquently.

‘’Don't ugh me." Keith emptied a entire bottle of water on Lance as the boy squirmed on his sheets.

‘’What the fuck do you think you are doing?!’’ he shouted.

‘’Get up. Take a shower, you stink. And go to study. I’ll make something edible out of the mess you have on the kitchen. Now.’’ Keith commanded,  and didn’t wait for Lance’s brain to process everything that was happening.

_What?_

He took the (very needed) shower and ran to the kitchen.

‘’What are you doing here? Why are you here? Did Hunk told you about my breaking down? Because it’s fine I always breakdown before finals. But, no, seriously what are you doing here?’’

Keith looked at him lifting an eyebrow

‘’Are you done?’’ he asked.

‘’Yeah, pretty much.’’

‘’I don’t want you to break down. It doesn’t do any good to students. I have seen it. So, study. You've got this. And if you don't, I do." Keith threw a bag at him and he caught gracefully. It was full of highlighters, post-its notes, some energy drinks and a few chocolate bars. Lance looked up, mouth hanging slightly open.

‘’I also bought some bananas I think I can use to make the mariquita you did to me last time?’’ Keith said unsure. ‘’’I mean I suck at cooking but I think-’’ Lance was hugging the shit out of him in seconds.

Keith laughed and rested his arms on Lance's back, smiling.

‘’What has gotten in you?’’ he asked.

‘’What has gotten in you!’’ Lance said, resting his arms on Keith’s shoulders. ‘’You come here out of nothing, buy me stuff, cook for me, and not other than one of my mama's recipe-’’

‘’I haven’t yet-’’

‘’If I didn’t know you I would think you like me, mullet.’’

Keith froze in his arms and he quickly withdrew himself from him, and started laughing at his own statement before it got weird.

_Great way to deal with your crush, idiot._

He coughed and leaned on the counter, as nonchalantly as he could.

‘’Anyways, thank you buddy’’

‘’Yeah.’’ Keith muttered and turned to the fridge. ‘’No problem, _buddy._ ’’

 

5+1

Keith’s mobile phone woke him up ringing at ungodly hours. He checked after rubbing his eyes and it was 11 am, so, yeah early.

‘’Yeah…?’’ he said, sleep still on his voice.

_‘’Keith? Holy fuck you just woke up didn’t you?’’_

‘’Lance what do you want?’’

_‘’I PASSED!’’ he shouted on his ear._

‘’What?’’

_‘’I passed my exam, mullet! The one you helped me study!’’_

‘’Oh.’’ _Oh. That’s nice._ ‘’Congrats. I’m happy for you.’’

_‘’Yeah? I’m so happy I could kiss you right now!’’_

Keith gasped and Lance started mumbling on the other line.

_‘’I mean- I could kiss- Oh my god- I’m just really really happy. Don’t mind me. It’s the caffeine talking, not me. Really.’’_

‘’Uhum…’’ Keith said managing somehow to not sound disappointed. ‘’Anything else you want or can I go back to sleep?’’

 _‘’Yes!’’_ Lance said. _‘’I mean no! I mean don’t go to sleep!’’_

‘’Lance-’’

_‘’Wouldyouwanttohavelunchwithme?’’_

‘’What?’’ Keith said confused.

_‘’I mean, uhm. Hunk and I are going to grab something for lunch now to celebrate it. Do you wanna come? Since you helped me out and all?’’_

‘’Yeah sure. Let me take a shower and send me the place. I’ll meet you guys in an hour.’’

_‘’Okay. See you.’’_

Keith hung up and looked at his roof.

‘’Why do I do this to myself?’’ he asked, and predictably, no one answered.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it! :D


End file.
